


impossible

by egare



Series: A Penchant for Trouble [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Spoiler: Balgruuf adopts everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:51:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7695466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egare/pseuds/egare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jarl Balgruuf has six children. Five ask for the impossible, and one does the impossible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	impossible

i. Frothar

Frothar, his eldest by blood. He wanted to fight everything, to be blunt- a warrior in the making. Yet he also had the politeness and speech ability of a future Jarl, and for that, Balgruuuf was grateful. But although he possessed the skill, he would have trouble reeling Frothar into politics rather than battle; the eldest did not ask for much, except to be allowed to fight for Whiterun when he was older.

* * *

 

ii. Nelkir

Nelkir, his youngest son. He had a long way to go, that was for sure, and faced challenges as the illegitimate son. The boy spoke his mind, even in the worst moments, and he had yet to show any sense of... understanding, of affairs that did not deal with fighting and bloodshed. But he was still young, and Balgruuf had much to teach all of his children, not just Nelkir. His youngest son asked for independence, which he could not be given at such a young age.

* * *

 

iii. Dagny

His daughter... He loved Dagny, he really did, but he knew she was going to be troublesome as she got older. He had spoiled her too much, he knew that now as he faced her complaining, but he also knew she was not a lost cause. She enjoyed her dresses and treats ("Absurd that you can't get good sweetrolls!"), but he also looked on with pride as she fought her brothers with wooden swords and fists. She didn't take no for an answer, and she gave Frothar a black eye the first time he refused to let her play-fight with them. She asked for what she wanted and, when faced with someone that could actually give it to her, adopted a politeness that went hand in hand with batted eyelashes that would get her what she wanted. But she too asked for the impossible, in the middle of the night as the sound of dragons and war terrified her into startled consciousness- she asked for her mother. Neither Jarl nor daughter commented on the fact that she never called for her father.

* * *

 

iv. Irileth

She was his daughter, whether she wanted to be unofficially adopted into the family or not. Balgruuf never mentioned seeing her be 'defeated' by Dagny's wooden sword or teaching Nelkir the proper ways to sneak grilled leeks. And although she acted more like a mother than a daughter to the Jarl, Balgruuf could not help the parental fondness that grew at the sight of her fighting, her leadership, and her ferocity. His blood children grew up learning to hate someone for who they were, not what they were; they had gotten into quite a few fights with children from imperial-favoring families that fled Windhelm, defending the Dunmeri and threatening to beat up anyone that insulted an elf in their proximity.

Except High Elves. Even Irileth insulted most high elves.

But Irileth asked for him to pick a side in the Civil War, urging him just like those that surrounded him to give counsel did. She reminded him of the way that the Dunmeri were treated in Windhelm, but also asked for him to be cautious about his decision- she would stand next to him no matter what happened, as a Housecarl, and as a friend.

* * *

 

v. Lydia

The most troublesome daughter of his three, no doubt about it. She came to Whiterun as a child, no more than fifteen, and ranted for days with anyone that would listen on how she wished to be a guard. She was fifteen and a half when she barged into Dragonsreach, glaring and threatening every guard that tried to stop her, and asked the Jarl himself to be a guard stationed in Whiterun. No where else.

It was difficult to accept women, if Balgruuf was going to be honest- there were rules in place that he had no control over, concerning bloodlines and race and age and abilities, rules that men did not have to worry about. Yet he told her that if she trained hard enough, came back in one year, and was able to (non-lethally) defeat his best guard at that time, she would be allowed in.

One year later, his best guard was on the floor bleeding, and a seventeen year old Nord woman became a Whiterun guard. She would continue to be one for the next eleven years, until the Jarl had a better position for her.

She was twenty eight when Jarl Balgruuf asked if she would be a housecarl to the Dragonborn, and she accepted the honor. Throughout the next two years she checked in every now and again with the Jarl, speaking about the bandit camps they cleared and the Thalmor Justiciars that the Dragonborn shouted to death. She told the children stories of the dragons she fought, of the Giants she ran away from ("With honor and dignity- a Nord must realize when not to fight, as much as they must know when to fight and what to fight for.").

Lydia was twenty nine when sat awake with the Jarl, left behind as the Dragonborn flew away on the back of a dragon to go fight the World-Eater. That night, she spoke of the horrors of being a housecarl to such a kind man. She spoke of him jumping in front of the sparks of attacking mages, of him gritting his teeth and dealing with blow after blow the Forsworn gave as he healed her, of him facing a dragon head on and being engulfed in flames- only to come out burning and limping but still _so alive_. He smiled as he admitted to her about being apart of the Thieves' Guild. He Shouted and she would fly into a wall in a cave, alive, angry, and mostly unharmed, and it would only be later that she would notice the trap she almost triggered. The trap that she would have set off if he hadn't moved her immediately.

She sat until dawn speaking with the Jarl about the Dunmer that stole her heart and refused to let her do her job. And Balgruuf listened, not as her superior, but as a father and a friend.

Lydia was twenty nine and kneeling on a balcony in Dragonsreach, praying under the night sky to all nine Divines for the Dragonborn to be alright. It was this balcony that a dragon had been captured in. It was this balcony that the Dragonborn flew off of with said dragon, three days ago. She prayed that he would return from the battle against the World-Eater, that he would come back alive and well. She asked the Divines for the impossible, each night, until twenty days and twenty one nights had passed and she was still alone.

* * *

 

\+ i. Deldrach

His other child, yet another one he unofficially adopted (Not that said child would ever know), was something else. He was not related by blood, he was not even the same race as the Jarl, but he was cared for like a son. Ever since that day that the Dunmer came running into Dragonsreach, speaking of a dragon attack in Helgen, Balgruuf knew his days were going to get much more interesting.

He was thankful when the Dunmer returned with the Dragonstone, alive and well. The Jarl knew he had no right to order that the elf- who finally blurted that his name was Deldrach- go fight the dragon with his men, but he put the suggestion out there and Deldrach went anyways, stolen sword swinging. There was a feeling growing in his stomach- much like in Dagny, he sensed something in the Dunmer. And his feeling was proven right as the ground shook, and the Graybeards called for the Dovahkiin, right as the doors to Dragonsreach were opened.

More guards came back than the amount that left, and Irileth was walking side by side with her fellow Dunmer, both of them leading the troop back into Dragonsreach. He had listened to the story in fascination, as the guards took turns talking about how they defeated the dragon, and eventually the crowd dwindled down to merely two. The Dunmeri, Irileth back at the Jarl's side, and Deldrach in front of him.

He was proud of the young male as he sent him off to the Graybeards to complete his destiny.

Months had passed until the Dunmer returned again. He did not look as small and cheerful as before- he had gained muscle, his hand seemed as if it belonged in the enchanted sword he was holding now, and he had grown to be a fine young Dunmer. Much like with his other children, Balgruuf was thrilled to see the changes. But it seemed that, also much like his other children, Deldrach asked for things he could not be given.

" _I must have misheard you," Balgruuf started, sitting slightly straighter in his throne. "I thought you asked me to help you trap a dragon in my palace._ "

Of all the things that his children had asked for, Deldrach's requests took the cake. Whether it was asking for permission to take four entire cheese wheels from the kitchen, or if Balgruuf could spend a day inside so he could take Irileth, try to trace her lineage, and see if they were somehow related, or asking of he could trap a dragon in his palace, Deldrach never failed to both confuse and interest Balguuf. Yet even with his odd requests and his otherwise ridiculous actions, he always found a way to do everything he wanted.

The chef reported five cheese wheels being stolen- an extra in retaliation, no doubt. One day, all three of his children became 'sick,' and he was forced to stay with them and ensure they were alright; the next day, they were feeling all better, and Balgruuf could smell sweet rolls on their breaths for the next week.

And Deldrach somehow got two opposing factions of strong-headed men and women to come to a peace council, establish a treaty for the time being, and politely sass the Thalmor representative almost directly to her face, all in less than a week. He waltzed into Dragonsreach two days later with a sharp blade and a fiery fist, saying that he was ready to trap a dragon. Deldrach called said dragon, his voice heard throughout all of Skyrim and beyond, and less than an hour later he was gone, never to be seen again.

It was Deldrach of all his children that failed to do the impossible, many years later. Frothar had helped the Imperial Legion defeat the Stormcloaks, and was the perfect example of a soon-to-be Jarl. Nelkir overcame the challenges that came with being a bastard child of a Jarl- after running away at the age of fifteen, he returned six years later as the champion of Nocturnal, the leader of the Thieves' Guild- who were changing their ways and stealing a little from everyone who deserved it, rather than bankrupting and screwing over one person- and as independent as he wished to be. Dagny married a Mage apprentice that was originally from Helgen named Haming, and the two of them spent their days fighting dragons and making a living off selling their bones and scales.

They only attacked those that attacked first, of course. Many peaceful dragons had been seen around Skyrim, either flying, or resting in clearings. Lydia had moved close to one of the clearings around Whiterun, where she spent her days with a dragon by the name of Odahviing, protecting the hold by his side. It was what the Dragonborn would have wanted the two of them to do.

He hadn't returned from Sovngarde, but everyone knew through the dragons that he had defeated the World-Eater. He had sacrificed himself, and rumor had it that he became one of the few non-Nord warriors that enjoyed the rest of eternity in the Hall of Valor. A part of Balgruuf hoped that he was just hiding away, enjoying a simple life now that his destiny was complete, but he knew Deldrach- he would not rest like that, he would not be one to settle down.

It was years later, as Balgruuf stepped down from the throne, his son taking his place and Irileth standing at the new Jarl's side, that a familiar Dunmer caught his eye. They did not speak to one another, as the celebration started around them, and he disappeared into the shadows soon afterward, never to be seen again. Yet Balgruuf started to keep an ear out and he heard the rumors, rumors he paid no attention to before. Rumors of bandit camps being cleared by an unknown being in ebony armor, of destructive dragons being cut down with one swipe of a blade. Of the Aldmeri Dominion being cut in half by one attacker.

His adopted son was alive, and safe, and still doing the impossible.


End file.
